It is late at night and a married couple has just returned home from a party, where they met a former school friend of the wife and a famous singer. The husband has been charmed by the ... See full summary »

A man awakens one morning to find himself incapable of leaving his room. Since he financially supports his parents and teenager sister, this is a problem. HIs abusive boss keeps appearing ... See full summary »

Joseph K. awakes one morning, to find two strange men in his room, telling him he has been arrested. Joseph is not told what he is charged with, and despite being "arrested," is allowed to ... See full summary »

A man comes to a small village to begin his new job as an attendant at the nearby castle. But everybody in the village claims that he surely must be mistaken, there is no need for an ... See full summary »

One casual morning, the daily life of Gregor Samsa takes a strange turn when he is transformed into a gigantic bug and he is forced to endure the disparaging attitude of his family and ... See full summary »

Frequently Asked Questions

User Reviews

This is one of the great films of the 20th century. It is extraordinary and inspiring. It is simple, clear and to the point - it is also transcendent.

The film is based on Kafka's unfinished novel "Amerika". It was shot in Europe which is appropriate since Kafka never visited America and the novel is not about the real United States but it is rather a kind of allegory. Straub and Huillet's version is indeed about class relations and about the society that is created by capitalism, which is utterly cruel, capricious and ludicrous.

One interesting aspect is that it appears to take place at no specific time in history. It is neither exactly in the present or the past. Rather the characters wear the costumes that best express their position in society, whether it is a nouveau riche industrialist in a large vulgar 1970's bow tie or a policeman in the uniform of the Keystone Kops .

The film is photographed beautifully and simply in black and white. The framing and relationship between shots tells you everything about the relationship between the characters. For example there are long passages of shot/reverse shot with no resolution or establishing shot. It shows us how disconnected the protagonist, Karl Rossman is from the world around him.

There are some interesting actors in the film, note for example Laura Betti who was in many Pasolini films. Also the director Harun Faroki plays one of the characters.

I only wish more of Straub/Huillet's work was available in the USA.

24 of 28 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?